Srinagar: Australia’s legendary captain Ricky Ponting has backed Team India Test skipper Shubman Gill on his on-field altercation with England’s openers during the third Test at Lord’s.
England edged out India by 22 runs in a gripping contest to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
But it was Gill’s animated exchange with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett towards the end of Day 3 that dominated headlines.
With six minutes left in the day and both teams tied at 387 in the first innings, Gill was keen to sneak in two overs.
However, the English openers were in no hurry to face the new ball, sparking a heated argument between the Indian skipper and the opening batters.
Speaking on The ICC Review, Ricky Ponting admitted he was surprised by Gill’s visible aggression.
“That was a little out of character from what I’ve known from Shubman in the past,” Ponting told host Sanjana Ganesan.
“I am sure everyone who was there watching it, and I know you would know him quite well, that’s not what he’s generally like.”
However, Ponting said the incident reflected a young captain stepping up and setting the tone for how he wants his side to play.
“That’s the captain standing up for his team,” he said.
“That’s a captain really wanting to show that it’s his team now and this is the way that we’re going to play the game, and also, I guess, wanting to give a little bit back.”
Drawing a comparison with India’s former leaders, Ricky Ponting said Gill’s approach seemed more in line with Virat Kohli’s intensity than Rohit Sharma’s calm leadership style.
“I think that’s him starting to put his stamp on his team. And a lot like Virat [Kohli] did, in similar ways,” he further stated.
“Rohit [Sharma] probably was never as outwardly aggressive, I guess, especially to opposition players.
“I know he (Rohit) would quite often get aggressive with his teammates and try to bring the best out of them that way. But I love watching Shubman [Gill] stand up for what he thought was right in the game last week.”
India now trails 2-1 in the series against England as they head into the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting on July 23.